Louisville Gets the Most Improved Trophy

By Michelle on May 8, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Community Involvement , News

Bicycling Magazine has named Louisville, Washington D.C. and New York city as the three most improved cities for biking in the country. That's so very cool. I haven't completely drank the Kool-Aid (as I've mentioned I'm scared to death most of the time when I ride my bike on Bardstown Road) but I know the city has made a lot of improvements for cyclists and that it continues to do so.

Well done Louisville. Keep up the good work.

3 Comments

Joel

Most improved from what, may I ask? What's Bicycling Magazine's criteria?

Coming on the heels of Kenneth Chandler's death, I'd say Louisville still has a TON of work to do.

May 9, 2008 7:47 AM

Michelle

I won't argue that there is still a ton of work to be done (you know how fearful I am riding sometimes) but in terms of improvement there have been significant ones. According to the magazine the before part:

"Prior to 2005, the Gateway to the south, with its half-million residents, was marginal, at best, from a city biker's perspective: It had no bike lanes, a measly two shared-use paths and a number of halfhearted-but-never-implemented plans for bike-friendly facilities."

And after:
"since then, Louisville has hired a bike and pedestrian coordinator, completed a quarter of the Louisville Loop and created plans for a weblike bike network to connect the city core to outlying parks and, eventually, to the Louisville Loop. Thirty miles of bike lanes have been striped. And Humana has developed Freewheelin, a bike-share program similar to D.C.'s SmartBike, for its employees to use to ride between the company's buildings in town, though it could eventually expand to the entire city."

May 9, 2008 7:54 AM

Joel

thanks for the details. I'm not sure what I think about the Louisville Loop, considering how far most of it is from the actual downtown core of the city. I can't see myself ever actually riding out there unless I get a lift from somebody's car, which kinda defeats the purpose. In the meantime, much more of the inner city and neighborhoods of Louisville need not just paint demarking a bike lane, but actual, dedicated lanes with curbs or barriers -- at least on major thoroughfares.

May 9, 2008 8:19 AM

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